Google acquired Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion this morning, the result of which is twofold: Google may use Motorola to make their own "official Google phones," and Google looking to acquire the patents that Motorola holds to defend Android from lawsuits and challenges from competition like Apple and Microsoft.

Google's move puts them in a similar position to Apple, where one arm of the company makes a mobile operating system and another arm makes the hardware that OS gets installed on. The deal is still subject to approval by the FTC, and the official press release makes note of Google's desire to obtain the patents that Motorola holds, but it's also likely that in the future, Motorola will be the primary handset maker of "official" Google handsets, including the Nexus line. Photo by brionv.